Mayor and Council - Special Meeting

Mr. Mayor, it's time.

I'd like to call the special meeting to order at 4.30 p.m. Roll call, please.

Mayor Jose Grijalva.

Here.

Council Member Ida Pedrego.

Present.

Council Member Jose Montano. Council Member Gustavo Durazo.

Here.

Council Member Maria Dillman. Council Member Richard Acosta.

Present.

City Manager Honor Akiko. Present. City Attorney Dennis Fitzgibbons. City Treasurer Alejandro Martinez.

Here. Thank you. I'm here too.

Council member Ray Shelton.

Yes.

Thank you.

Thank you. Council members Montaigne and Dillman are excused. Item three, persons wishing to address the council in writing or verbally on any item not on the agenda. Do we have anyone?

We do not, Mr. May.

Item number four, discussion decision to call for and conduct an executive session. Item A, under the authority of ARS 38-431.03, A3, 4, and 7 to consider its position, instruct its representatives, and obtain legal advice regarding the update on property sale of a Galander on the Douglas Municipal Airport. Item B, under the authority of ARS 38-431.03, A3, A4, and A7 to consider its position, instruct its representatives, and obtain legal advice regarding prospective strategic investments of real property, infrastructure, and right-of-way within the community. and item C under the authority of ARS 38-431.03 A3 and 4, to consider his position, instruct his representatives, and obtain legal advice regarding the property located at 1300 North San Antonio Avenue and the bids received regarding the property. May I have a motion to enter into executive session?

Mr. Mayor.

Mr. Shelton.

I recommend we go into executive session to discuss said matters. Do you have a second? Second.

Motion by Mister Shelton, second by Mister Durazo. Any discussion? Hearing none, roll call please.

Council Member Pedrego?

Yes.

Council Member Durazo? Yes. Council Member Shelton? Yes. Council Member Acosta? Yes. Mr. Mayor?

Yes. Motion passes. We enter into Executive Session at 4.32 PM.

Yes. Oh. We adjourn our executive session at 5.58.

Item five, do I have a motion to adjourn the special meeting? I so motion. Mrs. Pedrigal with the motion. Do I have a second? Second. Second by Mr. Shelton.

All in favor, say aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye.

Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye.

Aye

I'd like to call this regular meeting to order at 6pm. Let us stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, and I'll have Mr. Shelson do the invocation.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

We please stay standing. Our most loving, gracious Heavenly Father, we thank you for this night and we thank you for the city of Douglas. We pray now that you would be with us tonight and that you would give us an excellent meeting and pray now that your will be done for this city And we pray that you would put your hand on us up here and out there with the audience. We pray now that you would just give us a good rain this season. And we pray now that you'd just be with our law enforcement, whether it be the police, the sheriff, Customs, ICE, Border Patrol, and just hold your hand so that we can live in this country and realize that it's the best situation and civilization that has ever been on the planet. We thank you for your love and goodness, and thank you for all the things that you've given us. In your name, amen.

Amen. I have four on the agenda. Roll call, please.

Mayor Jose Grijalva.

Here.

Councilmember Ida Pedrego.

Present.

Councilmember Jose Montano. Present. Councilmember Gustavo Durazo.

Present.

Councilmember Ray Shelton.

Present.

Councilmember Maria Dillman. Councilmember Richard Acosta.

Present.

City Manager Honor Akiko. Present. City Attorney Nick Cook.

Present.

City Treasurer Alejandro Martinez. Here. Thank you.

And for the record, Councilmember Montaño and Dillman are excused. Item number five, events update.

Hello from the City of Douglas Recreation Department. Check out our upcoming events in June. Celebrate Douglas' Mexican heritage at Raul Castro Park on June 13 at 6pm with a free event for all to enjoy music by Vicente Fernandez, portrayed by Samuel El Chente Franco. Come enjoy the night and make some fun memories with great music, a beer garden, and the lovely people that make Douglas a community. Join us for Art in the Park to make a very special Father's Day gift on June 18 at Raul Castro Park. The youth session will be from 4 to 6 p.m., and the adult session will be from 6 to 8 p.m. There is a limit of one project per person while supplies last. Vendors are more than welcome to participate in this event. Missed the first movie in the park? No problem, on June 19 at the 8th Street Park at dusk, weather permitting, we'll be showing the Goonies. Bring a chair or blanket to enjoy the movie comfortably. We'll see you there. Thank you, from the Recreation Department. We hope to see you soon. Join us at the City of Douglas Aquatic Center and 8th Street Pool for our Summer 2026 Aquatics Programs. swim lesson registration is now open for the summer our first session starts on june 1st 2026 we will have three sessions this summer with lessons available in the morning and in the afternoon from monday through thursday don't miss out on our amazing swim lesson programs at the aquatic center our douglas dolphins competitive swim club will start on june 1st at the aquatic center The program runs Monday through Thursday from 12 to 1.30 p.m. at a cost of $80 a month. We have different payment plans available. Feel free to give us a call for more information. Lap Swim is available for exercise at the Aquatic Center, Monday through Friday from 5 to 8 a.m. and 4 to 8 p.m. The Therapy Pool is available from 4 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 8 p.m. from Monday through Thursday as we share the pool with our young swim lesson participants. Lap swim and therapy pool are also available on Saturdays from 7 to 10 am. Open swim is available at Veterans Memorial Park, 8th Street, pool from Friday to Sunday from 12 to 4 pm. Bring your friends and family and make a splash with us at 8th Street. Night swim is also available at the 8th Street pool on Fridays from 5 to 8 pm. Join us for a refreshing swim under the stars. Join us for our next dive in movie on June 20, 2026. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the movie begins at 7 p.m. Help us choose our next film by voting on our Douglas Recreation and Aquatics Facebook page. Feel free to give us a call if you have any questions regarding our aquatics summer programs.

Hi, I'm here at the Douglas Public Library. As you can see from the background, our theme for the summer is dinosaurs and unearthing your story. We have a summer reading program going on for all ages. Kids can sign up and get weekly prices for reading and doing activities, and adults have a bingo that they complete by the end of the summer and get a price. We also have our calendar just like every month. This is the one for June. You can pick this one up at the front desk here at the library. Or if you follow us on Facebook and Instagram, you get all the updates. We have activity activities every single day from Monday through Friday for all ages. Our regular STEM activities, movies, story time, a story time to get ready for kindergarten and special events like our foam party coming up this week. We have paint parties, we have reptile show coming up, lots of things for all ages. Make sure to come by the library this summer to unearth your story and enjoy all the stuff that we have going on.

Thank you. Item 6, Mayor and Councilmember updates and or reports. Mrs. Pedregal?

Yes, I would like to share to the constituents here that Mayor Jose Grijalva, Mrs. Urquijo, and I recently attended the International Council of Shopping Centers, the ICSC, in Las Vegas. The conference provided an excellent opportunity to meet with a variety of retailers, restaurant operators, hotel developers, and other business representatives to discuss potential expansion opportunities here in the city of Douglas. These meetings were highly significant for growth and economic development with our community, including major infrastructure investments, border modernization projects, increasing commercial activity, and strong market potential in Douglas. Following our discussions at the conference, I prepared letters of interest to come here to Douglas I have already written to Dutch Brothers Coffee, Choice Hotels, the Hilton Hotels, KFC, Taco Bell, Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers, Denny's, and Slim Chickens. I've also spoken with a grocery store, and they plan to come at the end of the month. In addition, we made valuable connection with several other retailers, restaurant operators, hotel developers and commercial real estate representatives who expressed interest in learning more about the opportunities available here in Douglas. These letters that I sent out to the business opportunities available in Texas express the city's interest in working with these organizations to explore potential development here in Douglas. I was very I explained a lot about all the different sites that Douglas offers, not just about the community, but the sites. In addition, I have scheduled my very first council meet the councilwoman for Thursday, June 2nd at 6 p.m. And it's going to be at the PC Party Palace on 3rd and G Avenue. It's right across the street from Cilantros.

It's going to be- July 2nd.

I'm sorry.

July 2nd.

I'm sorry, thank you, July 2nd. And I hope that any one of you that would like to share, it's Your Vote and Our Future. That's the title. So I hope that as many of you, and it will be bilingually. So thank you very much.

Thank you. That sounded like an essay.

Well, I've been working hard in there.

Were you a teacher?

Yes, sir. Mr. Durazo. Good evening everyone. I just wanted to give a quick update on a few concerns that have been brought to my attention over the past couple of weeks. One in Bosch Court, they reached out on the condition of the roads and requested to look into added lights in the cul-de-sacs. They also mentioned that it gets extremely dark at night and there's been some illegal activity and that better lighting could help improve the safety of the neighborhood. So I forwarded that to our staff. Also received several calls and emails about the overgrown yards on 9th Street. that appear to be vacant or in need of maintenance. So residents have pointed out that there's excessive weeds, homes without city garbage cans and properties that simply need attention. So we provided that to the city and they provided an update to the concerned citizen about the actions that the city took. Thank you.

Mr. Shelton.

Yes, I've had some really good comments about our park out there where we have tennis courts and there's been people, several people that have been asking, can you make more pickleball courts? So maybe in the near future, we can look into that. We have, once again, we've been contacting, over the last year, grocery stores to come in, Chinese restaurants. And hopefully one day that is going to come true. But I've really enjoyed being a councilman. And my time now, I guess, what, 14 years, will be up here in a few months. So I'm looking forward to doing other things. But the city of Douglas has always, even growing up, I'm not from Douglas, but when we came down to Douglas, I always enjoyed it. And then once again, having some great friends, it's been a pleasure to serve our city. So thank you and next.

Thank you, Mr. Shelton. And you have six more months. So let's make it the best six months for all of us. Mr. Acosta.

Yes, sir, Mr. Mayor. Thank you. Just want to announce that on June 2nd, that the Boys and Girls Club here of Douglas Cox Innovation Center, we celebrated the grand opening. If you guys ever get a chance, go visit that place. It's amazing what the opportunities kids have now with 3D printers. They actually have two of them in there. especially being an educator. Our kids need that stuff. And I know Mr. Young here, CTE director from high school, and he could vouch for me. Douglas High School has great programs, but for our Boys and Girls Club, the only thing that we need there are more boys and girls to attend. I believe, Mr. Mayor, we had about what? 20 kids there, right? And, you know, being an educator, you know, we need to work together, the school district and the city of Douglas, and help the Boys and Girls Club get more kids out there because it's something that we've always wanted. We got it now, and let's keep working for it. It's amazing what the opportunity, just with the innovation that the opportunity these kids have to work on. So that was very exciting, especially seeing the faces on those kids. That's all I have here. Thank you.

Thank you. Just for some updates, I talked to the jujitsu place on G Avenue. They'd like bike racks, so if we could accommodate them. And they also said that they'd be willing, if the city's interested, to offer self-defense classes for all city employees, which I think would be fun. Council, too. I'd like to be a part of that. I'd also like an update. I don't know if it's on the city manager's report for the Ballard sidewalk. I'd like to thank Hema Herman for inviting me to the Poetry Slam at Huber. The judges were me and A.V. Adriat from Cochise College. And there's a lot of creativity, even if it has to do with just Drake, about, you know, a poem about Drake. I mean, they're very creative. So I think we need to take advantage of their creativity, ask the students to be more a part of our plans, you know, in the community, instead of getting somebody, paying somebody how many thousands of dollars to do a mural. There's a lot of artists here. There's a lot of creative people here. Poetry, too. We could post the poetry on our walls, you know, frame them. So there could be some pride when we walk around City Hall. I'd like to thank staff for Douglas Days. I'd like to also thank Spandex Nation. They love Douglas. They said they want to come back and see all the museums, come to the events. So they're looking to come back very soon. I'd like to thank Supervisor Gomez for the Opportunity Zones. She kept her word. She's fought for two. Well, they went to a vote with the with the the supervisors. We're going to get to. So that's going to be a lot of money pouring into Douglas very, very soon. Like Mrs. Pedrigal said, we went to ICSC. She got a grocer to come very soon. I got another grocer to come very soon. So their attention is on Douglas. We have $15 million leakage with grocery stores. We have a $50 million leakage with restaurants. And there was a restaurant that said that they were going to come too. And we got data today on, you know, we have the population here. Our problem is we don't have the jobs. We have cashiers. We have salespeople. We have waitresses, waiters. We have... people who supervise, they're working in Bisbee and they're working in Sierra Vista when they could be working here. So it's kind of... Nosotros nos tenemos que poner las pilas. We have to, you know, for mayor and council and bring those jobs. We have to be very proactive individually to do that. I'd like to thank Agua Prieta for inviting me to Baxicuí, second time in a row that I've gone. It was very entertaining. They had opera. I think we should bring opera here. Why aren't we catering to different audiences? We had a rock band come. We can have, you know, I've been talking to the organizers of the Bisbee Mariachi Festival. They... Now that Sergeant Davidson's doing the mariachi festival on his own, I told him, hey, can we bring another type of festival? He said we could bring a country music festival, Americana festival. So there's a lot of possibilities and a lot of events coming in. I'd like to thank AZ Chow for inviting me for the coffee meeting on a few Fridays ago. A lot of people went, people that we don't see in my town halls. I don't see, I don't think they go to our town halls. Just a different environment. That's where we should be active. Instead of having the people come to us, we should be going to them and their events. I'd like to thank also both Head Starts, Bonita and La Esquelita, for coming and saying thank you. I mean, I had them, you know, They drew me a few pictures. They gave me a certificate for going and reading to them. And the biggest thing about that is I'm a Head Start alumni. So I told them, maybe one day you all can become mayor too. like Mr. Acosta said the Cox Innovation Center you know they have a 3D printer they have laptops they have tablets they have a podcaster so I think it's about time we partner up with either the high school or the Boys and Girls Club have them come and report what we talk about because that's a different audience that we're not reaching out to and then they could report to their peers through a podcast on what we voted on so they could be informed because a lot of the time people don't know what's going on and As Mr. Hoffman knows, because I talked to students once, they basically said, I'm old and people don't use Facebook anymore. It's Instagram and TikTok. And I use Instagram, but not TikTok. So we need to go to these audience so they could know what we're doing and cater to them. So we should be having a more of a social media presence, a balanced social media presence. Facebook just isn't enough. And I'd like to also thank the Marines I met with them. They basically said, what do you need from us? I told them, we'd like to thank you for taking up our lodging because now we can go to hotels like Mr. Federico said, and a few hotels were interested. So I know that people are kind of nervous about them being here. They're here to do infrastructure. They assured me on that. And, you know, we're here, we're very respectful. We're a military city. I know that usually that goes to Sierra Vista, but look at these banners, look at the wall of faces. We're very respectful of law enforcement and our military. That's all for my updates. Now, item number seven, reading of proclamations.

The first one is for...

Taylor-Moen month. Whereas September 27, 2024, the Douglas community experienced an unexpected loss with the sudden and heartbreaking passing of 12-year-old Taylor-Moen, a cherished son, brother, student, teammate, and friend. And whereas Taylor, who wore the number 98 with pride as a member of the Douglas Youth Football League Bulldogs, brought joy, warmth, and kindness to all who knew him, and was deeply loved by his family, friends, and community. And whereas in the wake of this tragedy, the people of Douglas demonstrated remarkable unity and compassion, coming together through vigils, fundraisers, and countless acts of support to stand with the Moen family, Marcus, Karina, and their loved ones during an immensely difficult time. And whereas the memory of Taylor has sparked vital conversations about youth mental health, grief, and the importance of open communication between children, parents, and educators, inspiring a renewed commitment to listening, loving, and looking out for one another. And whereas Taylor's life, though far too short, serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of community, kindness, connection, and compassion, values that he embodied and which we now carry forward in his honor. Now, therefore, I, Jose Grijalva, Mayor of the City of Douglas, and on behalf of the City Council, do hereby proclaim the month of June as Taylor-Moen Month. During his birthday month, we honor Taylor's memory, celebrate his life, and recommit ourselves to building a supportive and loving community for all our youth. Let us use this time to uplift one another, educate ourselves and others about mental health, and ensure that no voice goes unheard and no heart feels alone. and our second proclamation, Juneteenth, whereas on January 1st, 1863, President Abraham Clinton signed the Emancipation Proclamation and established that all enslaved people in Confederate States shall be set free, and whereas on June 19th, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, enslaved men and women received word of general order Number three, proclaiming to the people of Texas that in accordance with the proclamation from the executive of the United States, all slaves are free. And whereas the African-American men and women of Texas were kept in bondage for over two years after President Lincoln's emancipation proclamation went into effect and had not yet been granted their God-given freedom. and whereas in eighteen sixty six black freedom organized the first celebration of jubilee day on june nineteenth featuring music ethnic cuisines prayer services and other activities and where a celebration of the end of slavery which became known as juneteenth is the oldest known public celebration of the end of slavery in the united states and whereas juneteenth is celebrated as a is a reminder of the precious promises of the freedom equality and opportunity which are at the core of the american dream and whereas Juneteenth provides an opportunity to recount and remember that freedom has not always been extended to every life in America, and whereas every day is an opportunity to strive to fully realize the ideals of our nation and ensure that the promise of a free and just society is guaranteed for every citizen, and whereas we humbly recognize each and every human being is made in the image of God, now therefore let it be resolved that I, Jose Grijalva, Mayor, and on behalf of the City of Douglas Council, do hereby proclaim June 19, 2026 as Juneteenth Day in the city of Douglas, Arizona, and urge all citizens to become aware of the significance of this celebration in American history and in the history of our nation and state. And we consider ourselves predominantly Hispanic, but when you look at our history, we're very diverse. So we should be celebrating that also. Addendum agenda sent on June 8, 2026, item one, America 250 anniversary. Whereas 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776. And whereas this milestone provides an opportunity for communities across the country to reflect on our shared history and the founding principles of liberty, justice, and the opportunity that continue to shape our national character. And whereas city of Douglas recognizes the semi They had to put a big word in this, didn't they? There you go. Thank you. Celebration is an opportunity to encourage civic historical education, volunteerism, and unity while honoring our stories, cultures, and contributions. that form the American experience. Now, therefore, be it resolved that I, Jose Grijalva, Mayor, on behalf of the City of Douglas Council, do hereby proclaim July 4th, 2026, as America 250 Anniversary Day in the City of Douglas, Arizona, and hereby encourages all residents, civic organizations, businesses, and community groups to participate in commemorative activities, educational programs, and celebrations throughout 2026 that recognize the this historic event and from our unyielding commitment to the freedom and independence of the United States of America. And then presentation of awards. This is a recognition of the Douglas High School SkillsUSA chapter for their first place in outstanding chapter at SkillsUSA Nationals. I know we have one of the sponsors, Mr. Hoffman. Can you go up there and tell us a little bit about what you do, what your group does? I told you you were going to talk when you were invited. I know.

Yeah, so I'm one of the eight advisors that make up SkillsUSA for Douglas High School. We recently took 17 competitors, which means they got first place at state to nationals. And we had all of them compete. And we were fortunate enough to have one competition get gold. And one of our competitors is here right now. She's one of the three. So what her competition was is to compete. let them see and know everything that Douglas High School does out in the community and what we do for just our school in general. So they were able to showcase that and we did a good enough job to get first place nationally. That's right. Awesome.

So you have eight students here, right?

We have Six students. I didn't mean, I'm sorry. I did not mean to do that. I did not mean to do that. Six students.

Unless I'm missing somebody.

Yeah, six. And RCT director, Mr. Young is also here.

Former print shop teacher of mine. Mr. Young. Thank you all for coming. Do you all want to introduce yourself? Say a few words?

Stand up.

Putting you all on the spot.

We also have three state officers from Douglas High School and that's the first time we've ever done that also. So they represented us over there at nationals as well.

No, no. Okay.

I'm Andre Camacho. So I participated in Facilathon, basically facility management. And so what it allowed me to do is basically just get into the headspace of a person that, you know, manages facilities, you know, something like Amazon, you know, Amazon store, theater, and then like museum, things like that. And basically my... My competition was about solving issues, doing it quickly, and doing it precisely and manageably too.

Congratulations. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you.

Hello, I'm Katia Hernandez, and I participated in the outstanding chapter. Essentially, that competition is where we planned and organized a 150 page document that documents all of our activities that we did, our impact within the community. And we also had a separate notebook where we organized all of our meeting notes together. They scored us on both the design of the notebook, the organization of it, and the organization of our separate notebook, our secretary notes. And then we had to do a 10-minute interview where they asked us just questions such as, what was your favorite event? Which one was most impactful? And overall, they scored us on it, and we were able to get first place nationally.

Congratulations.

Hi, my name is Ayadi Mercer and I completed career pathways. We had to create a project to help the community and our school. We created a project called Project Paws to help stray animals to always have food and clean water available.

Tell us where you work, too. I work at...

He's one of our city employees, so we're very... My name is Antonio Vasquez, and we compete in entrepreneurship, me and my teammate Ashley. Basically, our competition is creating a business for whatever you need. But in our case, we create a business based in Douglas economy and population, and which we create a... recreate like a residence of modern homes for like uh cvps and for the community that's it thank you gradually thank you congratulations

Hi, good afternoon. My name is Valentina Garcia. I'm in digital cinema. That basically means I got to make a five-minute film in a week, and I got to use locations all over the city and in my school, and it went really great. It was really fun. It brought in my creative side.

Congratulations. Thank you.

Before we invite you all to offer a picture, just I think we can all echo the same sentiment. We're very proud of you. And you are our ambassadors when you go out there. You guys are the ones that represent us and give us a good reputation because, you know, we're politicians. People think we lie all the time. But when you all are going, you're the bright spots. And hopefully, like we're discussing about jobs and bringing businesses, our mission is to keep you here because we know that a lot of you are probably going to leave if you're graduating. But we want you to stay here. We want to grow a future for you to come back if you do leave. So very proud of you. And if you could all come to the front so we could take a picture. Council, could you go down also?

I'll be the boss of this boat. Oh, Okay. Great at that.

Mr. Young. They're smart. They left.

No.

Some of us like the torture of meetings, right? Item nine, persons wishing to address the council in writing or verbally on any item not on the agenda. Do we have any more?

Mr. Mayor, can we go back to item number eight?

What do we have?

Governmental updates.

Oh, governmental updates. Yes, we don't have any things on here, right? No. Okay. Sorry about that. Item nine, persons wishing to address the council in writing or verbally on any item not on the agenda.

Yes, we do.

Mr. Braverman come up here and you were gifted. So it's five minutes.

By the way, parliamentary procedure.

I am not a committee.

See you now. All right. I'm glad you all enjoy patting yourselves on the back for the last hour. But the facts of the matter are we're circling the drain. Since we opened up the Last Supper Museum, we've lost 21 businesses downtown. Write that down, Acosta. 21 businesses downtown. Half of those were established after we started the Last Supper Museum. Me, Ranchito, our best friends down here are down around 20%. Write that down, Durazo. Catholic services are laying off people. They help people get their taxes done, get their DES funds. We're losing them. And you sit up here and continuously pat yourselves on the back. I checked with Taco Bell and Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken. They're all one. They're not coming down here. I'll give you information on that because I will see you tomorrow. You have not been in the last supper museum. You don't come in. We can't even get a full council meeting once. Every time I come here, there's a council person meeting. It's a hobby to them. One day a month, they refuse to participate in the tourism or economic development. That changes tonight. The Douglas Tourism and Economic Authority are now in charge of that. And I expect tomorrow sometime between 10 a.m. and 4 that each council member comes in, including you, Mayor, so you can get something done for your first year and a half. You see me? I want y'all in tomorrow. The other two aren't here, you can call them. No excuses. You got a dentist appointment, change it. I'll see you tomorrow and I'll show you what we're going to do. That includes you. Anna, I want you to come here to the Last Supper Museum tomorrow between 10 and 4 with your top three paid employees. Four employees are getting $600,000 a year and we lose 21 businesses. Think about it. All these things you say you're going to do. It's always a message in a bottle. No funds behind it. No expertise in marketing. I've been working on this going on five years. I expect you in here tomorrow and you will be there. We will start putting to this city that they're committing malfeasance. You're responsible for this. The only good thing that's been in this meeting is those kids that just left and you keep letting them all down. Those kids aren't going to be out of this town fast enough when they get a degree. The plan is we're going with the triangle. We all like the Chicago Bulls. They use the triangle one every damn time. We will have a day in Douglas, weekend in Douglas, and week in Douglas that the city will promote. Anna and Louise wanted to go buy a faulty property at the golf course again for $33,000 to pay someone else's taxes, and we can't get a penny to promote our town? We have no welcome kit. You need a welcome kit to go to that meeting you guys went to. We will make one. It's a welcome kit. It's a damn Douglas, and it's smoothing out this permit nonsense. One of our sponsors, he has one of the oldest running businesses in Douglas, DeVore Automotive. His father died last year. He's trying to do repairs on his dad's old house. He's been working on getting a permit for seven months. You people that won't go, you say you care about... Douglas, but you won't come in the number one tourist attraction. We're on PBS. We're about to be the number one tourist attraction in the Herald Review again. We have the London Film School making a documentary. I'm going to do a lot of press. If you 10 people aren't in the press, I will be naming names. These are the people that do not care. They do not have time. This is not a hobby. I put it to you, Mayor Gehalva. Can you just your council to come into the number one tourist attraction in Douglas for a couple of minutes tomorrow and the triangle so we can save our kids. And when the town died economically, it died emotionally. You guys come to these meetings and you listen to this nonsense. It's a bunch of nonsense. I can take you all around the state. All I ever hear is, Douglas is a problem. We get more support from Tombstone, Bisbee, and Portal than we ever have gotten from here. We've done all this work for free. The Dan Douglas thing's rock solid. So is the welcome kit. And so is the streamlining of permits. If you can't figure out how to pay for it, let's take a 20% deduction in our top five employees at the city, and we'll have plenty of money to pay for everything. No one needs $200,000 or $100,000 here to manage an economy that doesn't exist. I just had economic appraisers from Scottsdale and Tucson come down here independently, and they said there is no way to appraise the businesses because there is no economy down here.

Thank you, Mr. Braverman.

Thank you for nothing. I put it to you, Mayor. Have a good time trying to work out in the gym across the street. Have a good night, kids.

Thank you, Bobby. I'll see you all tomorrow.

Mike Miller.

My name is Mike Miller, and I'm here representing the Borderlands Gravel. Be the third edition this year. November the 14th, be contested starting and finishing in the park. We expect 450 cyclists, plus another 350 support people, plus or minus 800 people in town for two days. Economic impact last year, $200,000. Bike racks, bring them, we'll fill them. Boys and Girls Club, get me the names. I need their names. I'll do a podcast. I am doing this self-funded, bringing this event to town, working with the finance, working with the city manager, working with Jim Smith, working with Dave Nevins, tourism office, working with the fire department, the police department, EMTs. The only thing I'm missing is the fourth ring of the circus. I'm bringing three of them. We're also the Arizona Gravel Championship bike race for this year. So Safford has the Hill Climb Championship. Nogales has the Road Championship. McKenzie Ranch has Mountain Biking Championship. Douglas has the Gravel Championship. So I am bringing stuff to town. Dr. Antaia is with me. Ms. Duarte is with me. We have a very professional organization that's coming. So I will see everybody on 14th of November. Okay. So thank you for your time. Thank you for your time. Thanks for supporting us. And if you have any questions, all of you have my business card right there. Please get ahold of me. Okay. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you for being very respectful.

Yeah, absolutely. You know, it's, they get further that way with collaborations.

Right. Yes, you do.

Yeah. Oh, Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Calvin Grant.

Yes, sir.

First, I want to say congratulations on the kids getting a first place nationally.

I know they left, but some people are clapping their hands.

My name is Calvin Grant. I'm pretty new to Seattle, you guys. I moved out here December 4th of 2024. But I want to say I'm the founder of Home Court Douglas. And I first want to thank the council and everyone here for allowing me to speak tonight. All you guys. I started Home Court Douglas because I truly believe on youth need positive opportunities, mentorship, structure, and something to believe in. Basketball has always been a major part of my life. Growing up, I went through a lot of personal league and sports, me, confident, disciplined, and positive outlet. One of the biggest influences in my life was a coach named Coach Curtis. She believed in me, pushed me, and showed me how important mentorship really is. She helped change my life, and that's one of the reasons I want to give back to the kids here at Douglas. I know basketball's not big out there, so, you know, I'm trying to bring it here. You know, I know you guys got baseball, soccer. Let's do basketball, too. Home court Douglas is more than basketball to me. It's about creating a safe and positive environment where kids can change active build confidence, learn teamwork and feel supported by the community. We recently started free basketball camps for the youth and the support from the parents and kids have already been incredible for me. Seeing kids excited, smiling, learning and encouraging each other has motivated me even more to continue building this program. I may not have everything figured out at all, but I'm willing to work hard, learn and continue growing this program for the community of Douglas. My goal is to continue creating opportunities for the youth here in Douglas and build something positive that the community can be proud of, Um, tomorrow I have a free camp. It's, uh, five to eight girls are five to six. The younger boys are, uh, six to seven older boys are 78. Uh, my goal is to continue creating opportunities for the youth here in Douglas and build something positive that the community can be proud of. And, uh, yeah, thank you guys for this.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

Then the lawyer. So where's the camp going to be?

It's going to be at Douglas High School.

I'm also having a hard time getting funding for my program. So I've been coming out of pocket. It's non-profit. So I know Walmart gave me $140 to get cones and stuff, but I need basketball. I'm gonna actually go buy some basketballs when I get out of here, you know, for the kids. All right, thank you.

Good evening, Mayor and Council. My name is Diana Lamar. I live at 1303 F Avenue. Just a couple of things I wanted to circle back on. One, to thank Mr. Fitzgibbons for reaching out to me regarding the flock cameras. I haven't had a chance to speak with him directly, but I do appreciate the outreach. I would ask that at some point in the near future, perhaps we can have a public update about flock specifically and surveillance in general. Regarding the Douglas Airport sale that I believe you had an executive session on this evening. I would request that we have more detail on the agenda regarding executive sessions so that the community has a reasonable understanding of what matters are being discussed. I don't feel like, I certainly don't have a good understanding of what is being discussed at the executive session. And I would ask that perhaps we could have an update on the whole airport sale in the near future. I would ask that a moratorium be voted on for data centers and that our council, I have no reason to think you would do this, but I certainly hope that our council does not take does not follow in the steps of our Board of Supervisors, Mr. Antinori, Crosby, and Gomez, who seem to be leaning towards less transparency and had recent musings on holding executive sessions without their city attorney and without their city administrator present. I think we need to lean towards more transparency, not less. And that's all I got for you. Thank you so much.

Thank you, Ms. Lamar. Thank you. Best for last, Mr. Galindo. Write your list.

Good afternoon. Mayor, council, guests. My name is Pablo Galindo. I'm running for council member ward six. And I've been knocking on doors and some of the people on my ward, and they have some problems, some issues with some things that they want me to do if I win. And they told me, if you win, what are you gonna do for Douglas? So I'm in my best position to do something for Douglas. And they asked me some things that I have in mind already. And I wanna read it for you guys. The first one is they want to have more lights on the ward because it's really, really dark on that side. There's a lot of houses, really dirty houses, like some of, we have some stuff in the back, but there's abandoned houses in the ward. And there's abandoned houses with a lot of bushes and stuff like that, that it makes ugly in the ward and it's dangerous for the kids. And they want us to clean that. And they want to fix streets and sidewalks, repair and maintenance, because there's a few sidewalks that are really bad shape. And there's a danger for the people that there's a lot of elder people to walk through those sidewalks. And there's really, really hard to walk on them. And they have some problems with the water. They said, sometimes we don't have money to pay for the water bill. And on top of that, you came the last day to try to pay it. And on top of that, they put 20 extra dollars to reconnect it, even though it's not even cut. So if they don't have money to pay for the bill, they want me to ask you guys, what can we do about it? And there's another thing. There's a lot of kids in our ward, a lot of kids, and there's a lot of empty spaces. And they see we can check for an empty space and we can make a little plaza, a little park for the kids so they can play and they can walk the dogs and, you know, something different for the ward to make our city better and prettier. And... Some of the people came to me and asked me, they have some businesses still on the G Avenue, and they try to make it better, try to remodel some stuff on the G Avenue, and they be kicking the back. They don't want us to fix anything. They want permits for everything, and they want us to talk to this guy, talk to this guy, and that'll let us fix anything in the G. And our businesses, so they want us to to shake on that and i've been told that they can invite you here to to be there when they want to shake everything for a permit so i'm going to tell them that. and And I want to bring more events to Douglas that guarantee the economic benefit on all business, hotels, gas stations, everything. So they guarantee it to be paid by itself. If I organize an event, being paid by itself. That's it.

Thank you.

And if staff can reach out to him on the code enforcement issues, since you said it's a safety issue, I'd rather not wait a few months to discuss that. So if I can direct staff to reach out to Mr. Galindo. Thank you. Thank you. item 10 discussion decision on approval of consent agenda items item a expenditures for the month of May 2026 totaling 3,146,426 dollars and 76 cents. The meeting minutes for May 13 26 and 27 2026 see does this airport authority board reappointment of Tom Hannigan and federal job. D, Transit Advisory Committee appointment of Carl Smallbrook. E, Liquor License 009 for Circle Feast Floor 3488. F, Resolution Number 26-1736, a resolution of the Mayor and Council of the City of Douglas, Cochise County, Arizona, authorizing the execution of a contract renewal between the City of Douglas and Alma Vito Sola to provide services as a city magistrate for the City of Douglas. Item G, Resolution Number 26-1737, a resolution of the mayor and council of the city of Douglas, Cochise County, Arizona, approving the execution of an amendment to the intergovernmental agreement between the city of Douglas and Cochise County for animal shelter services in the city of Douglas, Arizona. May I have a motion to approve the consent agenda item?

Mayor.

Mr. Acosta.

I move that we approve the consent agenda items 10A through G. Do I have a second?

Second.

Motion by Mr. Acosta, second by Mr. Durazo. Any discussion? I have a question. The liquor license for Circle K, is the vicinity close to a school on that?

Mayor, members of the council, we do have some clarification on that. This specific license is a transfer license between a Sierra Vista and Douglas store and not related at all to future projects. That will come through another later discussion.

Okay, thank you. Just for clarifying. Any other discussion? No, sir. Hearing none, roll call please.

Council Member Pedregal?

Yes.

Council Member Durazo? Yes. Council Member Shelton?

Yes.

Council Member Acosta?

Yes.

Mr. Mayor?

Yes. Motion passes. Item 11, discussion decision on approvals. Item A, first reading of ordinance number 26-1234, an ordinance of the Mayor and Council of the City of Douglas, Cochise County, Arizona, living upon the assessed valuation of the property within the City of Douglas, subject to taxation, a certain rate upon each $100,000. dollars of valuation sufficient to raise the amount estimated to be required in the annual budget and providing funds for general municipal expenses, offer the fiscal year ending the 30th day of June, 2027, establishing severability of components of ordinance and establishing an effective date thereof. Mr. Martinez.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor, members of the council. Every fiscal year, the city of Douglas is required to adopt its annual property tax levy. and submit a certification of the levy to the Cochise County Board of Supervisors no later than the third Monday in August. This year, the certification must be submitted on our before August 17th, 2026. On February 10th, 2026, the CWC the 2026 Nats Assess Primary Valuation. Some of the details are we're proposing a tax rate to leave the tax rate exactly the same as 2026 or 2025, I should say, of 1.0783 per $100 of assessed value. Again, this is unchanged. However, this produces a total tax levy of $750,838. That is an increase from last year's levy of 724,941 mainly driven by higher assessed values and new construction. Because we're assessing more money than last year, we were required to have a truth and taxation hearing, which we held on April 22nd, 2026. So at this time, staff is recommending approval of the first reading of ordinance.

Thank you. May I have a motion to approve the placement of ordinance number 26-1234?

Mayor, I so move.

Do I have a second? Second. Motion by Mr. Pedrigal, second by Mr. Shelton. Any discussions? No, we're not raising taxes, but we're getting more money because houses are looking nicer. We're building more houses, right?

That is correct, Mr. Mayor. Thank you. There's no discussion. Roll call, please.

Council Member Pedregal? Yes. Council Member Durazo? Yes. Council Member Shelton? Yes. Council Member Acosta?

Yes.

Mr. Mayor?

Yes. Motion passes.

In honor of the Mayor and Council of the City of Douglas, Cochise County, Arizona, levying upon the assessed valuation of the property within the City of Douglas, subject to taxation, a certain rate upon each $100 of valuation sufficient to raise the amount estimated to be required in the annual budget and providing funds for the general municipal expenses, all for the fiscal year ending the 30th day of June, 2027, establishing several beta components of ordinance and establishing an effective date thereof.

Thank you. May I have a motion to approve the first reading of ordinance number 26-1234? I'll make the motion. Do I have a second? Second. Motion by myself and second by Mr. Shelton. Any discussion? Hearing none, roll call, please.

Councilmember Pedrego? Yes. Councilmember Durazo? Yes. Councilmember Shelton?

Yes.

Councilmember Acosta?

Yes.

Mr. Mayor?

Yes. Motion passes.

In honor of the Mayor and Council of the City of Douglas, Cochise County, Arizona, levying upon the assessed valuation of the property within the City of Douglas, subject to taxation, a certain rate upon each $100 of valuation sufficient to raise the amount estimated to be required in the annual budget and providing funds for the general municipal expenses, all for the fiscal year ending the 30th day of June, 2027, establishing severability of components of ordinance and establishing an effective date thereof.

Thank you next item 1st, reading or ordinance number 26 that well, 35 in ordinance to. Of the mayor and council of the city of Douglas, Arizona, coaches, county, Arizona, adopting the document filed with the city clerk and entitled 2026 amendments to title 18 by reference to amend. certain provision of the City of Douglas Municipal Code, Title 18 Historic Preservation, related to Historic Preservation Commission, membership, powers, duties, and administrative procedures, establishing severability of components of ordinance, and establishing an effective date thereof. Mr. Martinez.

Good afternoon, Mayor, members of the council, staff, and community members. I am here today to present the amendments to Title 18. This proposed revision to Title 18 Historic Preservation of the Douglas Municipal Code is to modernize the code, increase flexibility, and streamline administrative procedures for both applicants and the city. In 2024, Mayor and Council adopted Title 18 Historic Preservation to formally establish the City of Douglas Historic Preservation Framework and incorporate historic preservation regulations into the Douglas Municipal Code. The adoption of Title 18 created procedures for the identification, designation, preservation, restoration, and rehabilitation of historically significant properties within the cities. The ordinance also establishes the historic preservation commission to oversee preservation efforts and support the city's long-term historic preservation goals. Additionally, the adoption of Title 18 positioned the city to pursue certified local government status through the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office, making the city eligible for preservation related grants, technical assistance, and additional funding opportunities. The ordinance further supported the city's downtown revitalization initiatives by encouraging facade improvements, redevelopment efforts, and preservation incentives aimed at protecting and enhancing Douglas' historic character. Since the adoption of Title 18 in 2024, implementation efforts have faced several challenges, including periodic pauses and uncertainty in support and funding availability through the State Historic Preservation Office due to federal government shutdowns and anticipated funding reductions. Additionally, the city has experienced challenges in recruiting community members interested in serving on the Historic Preservation Commission, which has impacted the progression of these preservation initiatives. Last year, the latest pursuit of our CLG certification, SHPO and the National State Parks met with staff to provide a thorough evaluation to Title 18 and recommended the following changes prior to CLG approval. These changes are outlined in your agenda packets. In summary, the proposed revisions to Title 18 add a new responsibility for the HPC to review and comment on all local properties submitted to the National Register of Historic Places. The amendments also clarify the application process under Section 1804020 by adding language specifying that property owners may begin the process without any guarantee of approval. Lastly, revision updates the HPC membership requirements by lowering the number of required members from seven to five and removing the residency requirement. Staff recommends approval of the proposed amendments and I would be happy to answer any questions.

Thank you, Mr. Martinez. May I have a motion? Mayor. The placement of ordinance number 26-1235, Mr. Acosta.

I move that the Mayor and Council approve the placement ordinance number 26-1235 on its first reading by number and title only.

Do I have a second? I second. Motion by Mr. Acosta, second by Mrs. Federico. Any discussion? I have, Mayor. Mrs. Federico.

Yes, do the owners, still have the authority to ask for this? Or is this something the city is going to do? Is it the individual owner of the building?

How does this work? They would submit their application to be on the Douglas Historic Property Register. Okay.

Yes. So if let's say a merchant decides not to, they can choose not to be? They can choose not to, yes. Okay. Thank you.

Any other discussion? Hearing none, roll call, please.

Council Member Pedrego?

Yes.

Council Member Durazo? Yes. Council Member Shelton? Yes. Council Member Acosta? Yes. Mr. Mayor?

Yes. Motion passes.

An ordinance of the Mayor and Council of the City of Douglas, Cochise County, Arizona, adopting the document filed with the City Clerk and entitled 2026 amendments to Title 18 by reference to amend certain provisions of the City of Douglas Municipal Code, Title 18, Historic Preservation, relating to Historic Preservation Commission membership, powers, duties, and administrative procedures, establishing several ability of components of ordinance and establishing an effective date thereof.

May I have a motion to approve the first reading of ordinance number 26-1235?

I still move.

And motion by Mrs. Pedrigal. Do I have a second?

Second.

Motion second by Mr. Acosta. Any discussion? Mr. Martinez, I do have a question. I was just kidding.

That's why I went into reading.

Just stay there next time. Just picking on you. Just picking on you. No, it seems like no discussion. Roll call, please.

Council Member Pedregal? Yes. Council Member Durazo? Yes. Council Member Shelton?

Yes.

Council Member Acosta?

Yes.

Mr. Mayor?

Yes. Motion passes.

An ordinance of the Mayor and Council of the City of Douglas, Cochise County, Arizona, adopting the document filed with the City Clerk and entitled 2026 Amendment to Title 18, by reference to amend certain provisions of the City of Douglas Municipal Code Title 18, Historic Preservation, relating to historic preservation, commission, membership, powers, duties, and administrative procedures, establish insalubility components of ordinance, and establish an effective...

Thank you. Item C, first reading of ordinance number 26-1236, an ordinance of the Mayor and Council of the City of Douglas, Cochise County, Arizona, amending the city personnel rules and regulations adopted pursuant to ordinance 684, and last amended ordinance 24-1189, establishing its servability of components of ordinance and declaring an emergency. Mrs. Pedrosa.

Good evening, mayor, members of the council. For mayor council's consideration, the city manager is recommending a change in the city personnel rules and regulations to allow for a wage differential for less desirable shifts. This recommendation is based on a recent situation within the transit division. The proposed change would provide the city manager with the flexibility to authorize a wage differential of up to 5% for affected employees, such as those who reside in Douglas and are required to commute to Bisbee to operate designated transit routes. This differential will be applied only in limited circumstances where operational needs create significant commuting or scheduling challenges. We do have more changes to the rules, but those will be brought at a later time, probably already next month that we identified, but those are just more housekeeping.

Thank you. May I have a motion to approve the placement of ordinance number 26-1236?

I move the Mayor and Council approve the placement of ordinance number 26-1236 on its first reading by number, title only, and declaring an emergency.

Mr. Shelton?

Second.

Motion by Mr. Acosta, second by Mr. Shelton. Any discussion?

Ms. Urquijo-Casas.

Mayor, members of the council, just a matter of correction here because we don't have six this evening, we cannot proceed with an emergency. So this will have to go as a first reading. We had planned for an emergency, which is why I directed Ms. Pedroza to not include any other housekeeping changes because I wanted this to be an isolated change because I need to enact it right away. So I will ask legal counsel to guide me on when we revise for reading number two, if I can somehow make it retroactive rather than ratification. I won't put anything into effect, but it is a situation that we need to address. So we will have to discuss second reading and timeline, but later within the second reading memorandum, I will clarify with legal if I can go retroactively.

But this is in, this right here is an,

the bus drivers the bus drivers that are driving outside of douglas correct so that the public will know it goes both ways so we currently manage uh the transit service for the city of bisbee ideally the bisbee drivers are from the bisbee area and douglas drivers are from the douglas area but in the event that i have turnover and i need to either home base from Douglas has to go to Bisbee, or home base from Bisbee needs to come to Douglas, this wage differential will take effect and apply to their base salary.

Okay, thank you. You're welcome.

Mr. Mayor. Mr. Acosta. Since we don't have the six present, do I need to restate the reading and the move to approve the placement of those four?

I think just amending him taking out the emergency, right, Nick?

Correct striking the emergency clause.

Yes, I striking were declared an emergency thank you and you know I don't want to keep them waiting because I don't know when we're going to have another meeting so we could do meetings by zoom technically so if you can get a meeting, maybe Friday do that by emergency you lose us 2 days, but at least it gets done quickly thank you. If there's no further discussion roll call please.

Council Member Pedregal.

Yes.

Council Member Durazo.

Yes.

Council Member Shelton. Yes. Council Member Acosta. Yes. Mr. Mayor.

Yes. Motion passes.

An ordinance of the Mayor and Council of the City of Douglas, Cochise County, Arizona, amending the city personnel rules and regulations adopted pursuant to Ordinance 684 and last amended by Ordinance 24-1189, establishing several components of ordinance and establishing an effective date thereof.

Mayor Mrakas, Thank you may have a motion to approve the first reading of ordinance number 26 dash 1236. Mayor Mrakas, Mayor. Mayor Mrakas, have a second. Mayor Mrakas, Second motion by Mr federal second by Mr durazo any discussion. Mayor Mrakas, Hearing none roll call please.

City Council Chambers. City Council Chambers. City Council Chambers. City Council Chambers. City Council Chambers. City Council Chambers.

City Council Chambers.

An ordinance of the Mayor and Council of the City of Douglas, Cochise County, Arizona, amending the city personnel rules and regulations adopted pursuant to Ordinance 684, and last amended by Ordinance 24-1189, establishing several ability of components of ordinance and establishing if I can say there are.

Thank you. You know, I don't want to keep our fire department here too long. So is everybody good if I go through F, bring up the meet and confer process? Next. And then item G afterwards.

I was going to say, Mayor, if we do F, let's do G, because it kind of falls into both.

Thank you. Is everybody OK with that? Yes.

Yes. Sorry about that. Item F, meet and confer process professional firefighters of Douglas. Mrs. Pedrosa.

Just stepped in. She stepped out. Yeah, she's right here. She's coming. She didn't know what was going to be.

Never know when you're going to get called upon.

Sorry, this one, I was not prepared for this. I thought Ms. Medina was gonna take it, but our firefighter union went ahead and submitted their request for me to confer by the deadline as established by our code by December 1st. Then we met the city manager, the fire chief, and I met with the firefighter officers by the deadline as well. And we had some conversations regarding what is being recommended. As far as in your packet, you have the information of what their requests were. There was three. There was this classification maintenance review. It was the incentive pay and cancer screenings at the moment. The city manager's recommendation is to include the cancer screenings and also to include one certification for the certification pay as far as the salary that's being left as a recommendation within the budget.

Thank you. I have a motion to approve the city manager's recommendation on this item.

I so move.

Do I have a second? Second. Motion by Mr. Pedrico. Second by Mr. Acosta. Any discussion? Hearing none, roll call, please.

City Manager.

I just wanted to know, I just didn't know if anyone from the professional firefighters of Douglas had totally voluntary. I just want to make sure they have an opportunity. And I wanted to also just add to what Ms. Pedroza stated that we go into positive non-adversarial meet and confer sessions every year based on their request. For me, I think this is the second meet and confer process, and we've been able to achieve certain items. It's not always everything that is requested, but we give it a very thorough review and a fair process. We are transferring from our health insurance trust $66,000 to get full body MRIs because we have so many presumptive type of cancers within the industry of firefighters and we're trying to be proactive to give them some peace of mind with some pre-cancer screenings those aren't routine it's a one-time thing but the trust doesn't recommend that they do it more anyway because it's a lot of radiation and we were able to come up with One credential that meets the eligibility criteria of our certification program that wasn't requested by them, but in our research we found. And the others, we were not able to make the recommendation at this time. And then the request for market salaries, I always move into a salary, a budget discussion on treated as part of me. So with that, I don't know if there's anything else. No, there's one. Excuse me. Mr. Juan Gonzalez, the union president.

Hi, Council. Mayor Juan Gonzalez, engineer, union president. Like Ana said, we went back and forth for several meetings, and I always have to come back to what my brothers and sisters, what their input and stuff like that, and try to get the majority vote. So we respectfully request your support for a 3% cost of living adjustment for fire personnel, along with an additional 2% for line personnel from firefighter, engineer, lieutenant, and captain. This approach recognizes the impact of rising living costs on all employees while also addressing the recruitment, retention, training and responsibility demands unique to the fire service. Additional adjustments helps ensure the department remains competitive and supports the retention of experienced personnel who provide critical service to our community. I just kind of want to add that we're not just 28 firefighters. We're 28 members of the community. with spouses, um, one, two, three, four children. Uh, we're a large portion of the community and, and, uh, not just, we're not just asking for money. We're asking for help. Um, I myself been coaching baseball for five years now. I love it. Um, we have mentors, we have soccer coaches, we have, uh, people who get involved in the community and that's, That's our job is to have heart. What we see every day on shift is we pray to the Lord that none of you guys see or the community sees. And we're there at their worst time when they call 911. We're just asking for help. We're not asking for money. We're asking for help in order to continue to be involved in the community. you know, continue to be a baseball coach. I mean, we just went undefeated this year, and there's nothing better than that. You know, we're starting up a program, a summer program with the teens who want to be firefighters, and a lot of that takes off-duty time. So we just want a little help with our wages so we can continue to do that and not have to get second jobs and and stuff like that so um i'm myself not a bulldog i'm a badger sorry to hear that but i i consider myself a a badger adopted by bulldogs so you know i'm blessed to have these guys in my corner right here My girls too. Yes. And, you know, I don't just see them. I see their families, you know, and the special they are. And, you know, our chiefs were always there for us. And we just want to protect each other, protect the community. So we're asking for help. Thank you.

So we did tell you to stay on because we're going to bring up item G. It's going to be relevant to what we're going to discuss. Mrs. Bedwick wants to say something, but is it okay if I tell you to say the pride and defeat?

I just wanted to say thank you very much for everything that you do for the community and you are appreciated. Thank you. Thank you. All of you.

Thank you very much. Thank you. So, Mr. Shelton.

You know, I'd like to say the same thing. I've noticed how professional you guys are when there's a wreck or you go to somebody's house and go in and I've had a lot of really neat comments on what takes place within our city. So I'd like to thank you and just God be with you all the time because you can come up on some really bad situations in life. I know outside there near Kimball's Ranch once, there was a really bad accident. And of course, Douglas were the ones that came out and helped professional, you know, they handled everything. Thank you. Thank you, sir.

Sure, just to piggyback on that, I mean, it's a great pleasure to see what you guys do day in, day out, the hours, especially right now during the heat and everything. But more than anything, you have a young crew out there, and we're very blessed. And from our end, I mean, from my end, we'll try to do everything we can for the help. But again, we have some former bulldogs there. And that gives me a lot of appreciation. Too bad Mr. Young isn't here because he has a fire science program at Dennis High School, which some of them are proud of. So again, thank you so much. And thanks to the rest of the crew. Chief, thank you.

What do you mean former bulldog? Once a bulldog, always a bulldog.

I'm raising three bulldogs. At least you're not a poomer.

Thank you for all you do. I see you guys at the clinic when you come and pick up our patients. Always fast. Take them. No questions asked. Good job, everyone.

Thank you. I'll save my comments for the next item. So I have a motion to approve city manager's recommendation on this item. I already got one and six, right? That was discussion. Roll call. Yeah.

Council member Pedrego?

Yes.

Council member Durazo? Yes. Council member Shelton? Yes. Council member Raposta? Yes. Mr. Mayor?

Yes, motion passes. Sorry, that caught the public and everything's kind of gone pretty long. Sorry about that. Now, resolution number 26-17. 39, a resolution of the Mayor and Council of the City of Douglas, Cochise County, Arizona, adopting the tentative estimates of the amount required for the public expense of the City of Douglas for the fiscal year 2026, adopting a tentative budget setting forth the receipts and expenditures, the amount proposed to be raised by various means, and giving notice of the time for hearing taxpayers on the adoption of the final budget. Mr. Martinez.

Good evening, Mr. Mayor, members of the Council. The City of Douglas... is required to adopt a tentative budget in accordance with ARS 42-171-101, which sets the ceiling in spending. The city manager recommended fiscal year 26-27 operating and capital budget for your consideration is presented tonight. The recommended balance budget totals 107,967,481 across all funds. The general fund proposed budget is 18,683,369, which is a 1.8% increase. after transfers with a total general fund budget of 23,037,639, including transfers. That is a 2.3% increase from last year. The budget is grounded in the principles of sustainability, efficiency, and strategic alignment with the Douglas Vision 2032 priorities, including infrastructure, downtown revitalization, economic development, managed growth, tourism, and transportation improvements. The highlights are on the item memo. Some of them include the city manager proposed budget includes a 3% COLA for all eligible employees and a 751 time Thanksgiving distribution among other things. The finance committee met on June the 3rd and by a 4-1 vote approved the city manager's proposed budget with a few exceptions. And those exceptions include to exclude employees at or above pay grade level 33 from the 3% COLA, use those savings to fund an additional 2% for entry-level fire and police soaring staff, Give all employees a $1,000 one-time Thanksgiving bonus instead of the $750 that was proposed. And fund the difference from one-time funds. And also consider an additional one-time bonus during the fiscal year for those employees who were not considered in the 3% COLA if financial position allows. With these recommended changes, the budget will now stand at 107,973,928 across all funds with a general fund budget of 23,035,675, including transfers. Again, the state requires that we do a tentative adoption with a final adoption coming in your July regular meeting, which will include a public hearing as well.

don't pass the budget on the regular market i stand corrected you're correct so we will have a me a special a hearing and a special meeting to adopt uh the final budget mayor yeah um may uh may i have a motion to approve the resolution number 26-1739 i still move the motion by mr shelton do i have a second second second by mr costa

approval of the resolution is for a tentative budget but there's two recommendations and i'm not sure if mr um martinez was done because we were going to speak about some added information that we've recently also received so almost every meeting we've had so far working up to this um you know the state continues to give us some updates so

So thank you, Mr. Kiko. So right before our meeting last week, literally like 10 minutes before the meeting, we received what the lead called a final state shared numbers that we can use for budgeting purposes. Yesterday, we also got news that the governor and the state legislature had come to an agreement on a state budget, which has not been approved, but by all indications, it will be, which includes... $450 million in compliance with the big, beautiful bill that was passed by Congress two years ago or one year ago, I should say. We don't know what the impact of those $450 million cuts will be. be for cities and towns in Arizona. We don't know if that will affect what the state shares with us, because again, the big beautiful bill does affect the income tax portion because of no tax on tips and no tax on overtime. So at this point, it is somewhat up in the air as to whether those state share numbers will be effective in a negative way. I think we'll have some clarity in the next few days. They are meeting on Monday to kind of discuss this proposed budget, which will likely be the state budget. That's what they call tax conformity. So with that information, I know Mrs. Urquijo wanted to kind of add on that.

Mayor, members of the council, I think what I'd like to do, if you all recall, what today is is setting the ceiling, and the mayor may have some suggestions there, but I wanted to clarify that we have questions into the state that we will not get answers to, and I don't know if there'll be definitive answers, but we expect them on Monday. We did get, just like we thought 10 minutes before our finance committee, that we had $71,000 more than what I had balanced. And that was good because it was kind of what we needed to add these extra 2% to some of what we just heard from both fire and police. Not the next morning we thought we saw that that's not likely because of population that still needs to kind of settle in the dust for a new town of Santan Santan Valley up in the valley area that's going to take some of the urban shared revenues so. We don't know if we even have that amount. So we kind of are going back to square one on that. That's why the recommendations were made at the last finance committee to take from top tier department directors, the 3% that is in the balanced budget, use that to provide a 2% to entry level fire police. But that doesn't align with what we just heard from the union. The union is asking for firefighters, engineers, and lead engineers. As a union, they don't have authority to ask for captain and above. So I just wanted to make that clarification as well. But even so, we don't have that balanced in these two options. It's only firefighters and police officers, which was the recommendation by the finance committee. And then the original recommendation, which also stands. I think what I hear from the the State level as a potential projection for Douglas could be cut in in the amount of 250. ish 250,253,000. And we don't know when that's going to be applied. I kind of read between the lines and think that's going to be applied in 2027. But which means that's still a balancing act at that point, because we have less. So you know, lots of things can happen. And we have some time there, but just need a little more time to understand that. So Mayor, don't know if you have kind of thoughts on how to maybe direct that.

Um, as we, uh, kind of discussed earlier, because of the ask from the union, that's what we asked you guys to stay here. Uh, because I, I think that's our, that should be our priority. To take care of you guys and that's why we brought up also police because we don't find it fair for 1 department to get raised as 1 year and the other ones don't. So. One of you guys get raises the other department should too, because. You don't see us up here getting 911 calls, going into burning buildings, stopping crime. We don't have the courage you all do. So yes, you're very much appreciated. So one of the asks, because of the union asked for specific, I guess the pay scale, or not the pay scale, but the departments or the personnel, I think it's easier just to satisfy the 2% and let the union basically pick out how it's dispersed, right? That's what we were. So that way we don't include or exclude somebody. We give you that 2%, we give you how much funds that is, and you won't make the decision in the fire department. In the police department, it's the, I believe the entry level, right? That's what we were discussing. But again, Well, we're looking to take care of you all. And, you know, I know these numbers for staff sounds scary. We're not going to get this much funding. We're not going to do this. Listen, that's why I said, that's us. It's our responsibility to grow the economy. It's our responsibility to get businesses down here. It's our responsibility to get more people to move down here. Not you all. You shouldn't be punished because we're not doing our job. So you all should be safe. And again, you're very much appreciated. And I know she's going to be on a roll right now. So I'll let Mrs. Pedro go talk to chair of the finance committee.

Because I think that was one of the things that we spoke about is giving the 2% because we are recommending the three and the 2%. And hopefully the monies are going to be available, but giving it to the union and then they would disperse it as, and obviously as you, but you would get it. So we hope. And the only thing I would like to add is when I made the motion, the way I wanted it read, and I believe it's a little different, but I had moved for the motion, and I don't know if I do it now or when, but that all employees, including the police, dispatchers, and sergeants, and to exclude the police and fire chiefs, those were the only two that were supposed to be excluded from the motion. the 2% and the, well, the three, the 3%, because those were the 30, what is it? 33%.

Clarification, Mayor, Council Member Pizarro, the conversation never included dispatchers, first of all. It was all sworn staff.

But it was all staff, so to me it's everybody.

Yeah, but our numbers and how we were trying to balance the budget included sworn staff based on the savings that we're working with. And then I need clarification, Mayor and Council Member, on we don't give it to the union to make decisions, but it just comes back for us to work with the union to tailor that funding that was currently assigned to firefighters to see how we can divvy that up for it.

I do understand, but I'm very positive. And I think that we're going to find the money to be able to get all our employees.

So again, clarification, setting the ceiling today doesn't allow us to increase that anymore. And the balanced budget today is only one of those two options. No other option.

I was going to the operating budget and see what we can do. So. We have a whole month to discuss that. But right now, at least giving you all the assurance, we're going to get that 2%. I'll still say we're giving you the 2%. You can do what you will with it. Yes, we have to put it in there somewhere so it can make sense. But that's going to be your call and also for the police. So today the ceiling is going to be set if there's no more discussion. And we're also setting it at the maximum that we can set everything. This is our key. Mr. Martin is at the maximum.

The budget. The ceiling. The two, Mr. Martinez.

Yeah, so Mr. Mayor, members of the council, the higher ceiling or the highest ceiling is the one that comes from the finance committee recommended budget.

Okay, thank you.

Roll call, please.

Mr. Mayor, if I may, I do have a call to the public that would like to speak.

Oh, I think she's saying no. She'll pass. Roll call, please.

Council Member Pedrego?

Yes.

Council Member Durazo? Yes. Council Member Shelton?

Yes.

Council Member Acosta? Yes. Mr. Mayor?

Yes, absolutely. Motion passes. So we're back to... D the item D. You all don't have to go through the same torture we do you're all ready to go, if you want to thank you again for for everything.

Thank you.

Second reading, now back to item D, second reading of ordinance number 26-fall 29, an ordinance of the mayor and council of the city of Douglas, Cochise County, Arizona, adopting the document filed with the city clerk and entitled 2026 amendments to title two by reference to amend the Douglas municipal code title two relating to the airport authority, establishing severability of components of ordinance and establishing an effective debate thereof. Mr. Pedrosa.

Yes, good evening, Mayor, members of council. This ordinance is a second reading to align the municipal code with how the Douglas Airport Authority has been operating, which is mostly as an advisory board to the mayor and council. They have revised, made recommendations, revised regulations. PB, Harmon Zuckerman, Reviewed quarterly financial reports, I think the original intent was to make it a full airport authority to manage the airport and to be on a more. PB, Harmon Zuckerman, managerial position, but that it never evolved that way became advisory we just want to align those. PB, Harmon Zuckerman, With the with the code the practice with the code. PB, Harmon Zuckerman, The. Airport Authority met also on January 26th and May 4th, made the same recommendation. They also inserted a sentence there that the airport advisory committee recommendation shall be delivered to the mayor and council within three days of a meeting. So, Mayor and Council, with that, I'm happy to answer any questions about this item.

Thank you, Mr. President. May I have a motion to approve the second reading of Ordinance No. 26-1229? I so move. Do you have a second? Second. Motion by Mr. President, second by Mr. Acosta. Any discussion? Look, Mr. President, I'll say you came up and everybody left.

Thank you, though.

Hearing none, roll call, please.

Council Member Pedrego? Yes. Council Member Durazo? Yes. Council Member Shelton? Yes. Council Member Acosta? Yes. Mr. Mayor?

Yes. Motion passes. item e second reading of ordinance number 26-1232 an ordinance of the mayor and council of the city of douglas coaches county arizona authorizing the acceptance of donated real property from m and m morris properties llc consisting of assessor's parcel number 410-06-0058 and 410-06- 005B in the City of Douglas establishing severability of components of ordinance and establishing an effective big thorough. Ms. Gonzalez.

Good evening, Mayor, members of the Council. The City of Douglas conducted abatement of real property at both the assessor's parcels and parcel numbers, which were read 410-06-0058 and 410-06-005B. The parcels are located on East Gulf Horse Road and Washington Avenue. The abatement began in February of 2025, and the city subsequently recorded with the Cochise County Recorder's Office a notice and claim of lien for each of the parcels on June 4th of 2025, reflecting the abatement cost to the city. The taxes owed on the parcels are as follows, 246.13 for 410.06.0058 and 142.21 for parcel number 410.06.005B for a total of 388.34 taxes owed. The assessed value for the two parcels combined is $22,798. Parcel A is assessed at $14,450 and parcel B is $83,048. M&M Morris Properties LLC owns the parcels identified and have expressed no interest in retaining ownership and wish to donate the parcels to the City of Douglas. Upon completion of the donation acceptance, the City will assume the responsibility for the unpaid taxes. Staff recommends approval to receive via donation from M&M Morris Properties LLC, both parcels identified, per the conditions established in the attached donation agreement. I'll take any questions.

Thank you. May I have a motion to approve the second reading of ordinance number 26-1232? Mayor. Mr. Durazo.

I move that the mayor and council approve the second reading of ordinance number 26-1232 by number and title.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Motion by Mr. Durazo, second by Mr. Shelton. Any discussion? Hearing and roll call, please.

Yes, this is the parcel that we discussed last time. So what is owed is a lot less than what the value of the two of the lots. Am I correct?

$300 for the taxes.

$388.34 for both parcels.

So that's one of the decisions that we discussed last time. I just wanted to make it clear. Thank you.

Any more discussion? Roll call, please.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Motion passes. Item 12, city manager reports.

Thank you. I'll start with policy priority updates, which focus around the almost over $700 million investment to the City of Douglas that's been underway for the past almost five years that defines our daily work, day in and day out. but also everything that comes with it. And it's a plan for the future of Douglas based on Mayor and Council's vision. Infrastructure, West Douglas Utilities, about 2,300 feet of sewer and 1,700 feet of water line has been installed. Well 20 at the Cochise College Campus started drilling operation last week. The new Well 18 at Kazi Park is progressing with water production expected in late September. Plans and specs are completed for the Geronimo 16-inch water line replacement and reservoir roof repair. Due to high water demand and dropping water levels, we are asking the public to practice water conservation by watering lawns at night or early morning. We have a flyer on our website to further that information to the community, and we will get that out through our social media efforts. As far as our SCADA telecommunication project, the contractor has initiated utility locating services. The project schedule is as follows. The drilling crew will arrive on site at 9 a.m. on June 15th. On the morning of June 16th, the Sabre Tower will arrive and installation of the base section will begin. The concrete core and collection of concrete samples will take place on either June 16th or 17th, depending on the inspection schedule. We have also, it was requested about the sidewalk on 9th Street near San Antonio to Florida to cover gaps. we have that among many of the sidewalks which we have in queue however during budget discussions as a joint meeting with finance committee and mayor and council we were requested to bring back maybe a work session or a presentation all of the gaps still that we have in sidewalks so that they can be prioritized by mayor council and we can divvy them up and create a schedule and a timeline so we will continue to bring those back right now all hands on deck are on completion of the asphalt plant and some cdbg projects and and that's what we had stated before as well as far as economy jobs and amenities as a priority in partnership with partnership with local first arizona a series of free virtual Food entrepreneur workshops will be offered for individuals interested in starting or growing a food business. The workshops will cover Arizona's cottage food program requirements and opportunities will be available in both English and Spanish. In partnership with RCAC, The workshop 10 Bookkeeping and Tax Mistakes will be held at the Visitor Center on June 22nd. This free training is designed to help small business owners strengthen their financial management practices and avoid common bookkeeping and tax-related errors. Construction for the AllSupps convenience store and fuel station continues to progress. It's going very fast and will be held at the visitor. I'm sorry, and continues to progress on the corner of Pan American Highway 80. I was told by a member of that team that stopped by this morning, by the way, to bring you some drink months that are in my office. I'll have to get it to you. That September is their date for opening. La Cogito continues working to obtain their liquor license and they plan on opening soon and will release that date when their licensing confirm more progress there. As far as special events and tourism, the tourism team continues to work closely with the Arizona Office of Tourism on several initiatives. We're finalizing onboarding requirements associated with The Douglas' new Arizona Visitor Information Center designation, which is an added credential we've been able to add through that state effort. And also AOT representatives will visit Douglas on June 16th to meet with staff to continue ongoing tourism initiatives. Also, in our special events, as you heard all of the updates, we're also continuing to gear up for a special America 250 4th of July celebration. You can expect a two-day event complete with live entertainment, softball tournaments, our patriotic parade, open slam at our 8th Street Bowl, and more. We have downtown revitalization. Recently, J2 was able to meet with mayor and council in groups of two to go through detailed information to some of their questions regarding the concept that has been engineered. Meeting is also pending with staff and myself with the owners of Studio 917 to answer their question regarding structural stability of foundation when project commences. Also a downtown expo is still in the planning stages, but moving along with resources gathering and coordinating with resources in different contexts for downtown merchants to have information and resources on grants and loan opportunities. agency support recruitment strategies for retail, engineering resources and consultation, environmental assessment opportunities, and streetscape project information. The date and venue are pending, but we're kind of eyeing fall just because there's so many sponsors that are stepping up to the plate to participate, and we need to coordinate availability and venue. Managing growth and annexation priority, 20th and 23rd Street. We have a survey for delineation of that right-of-way and eventual acquisition for road and sewer improvements underway. And engineering design will begin next week on that. as far as our streets and roads priority 15th street sidewalk through cdbg has been completed for the six blocks that has funding we are looking at the gaps that are needed there and trying to get that in terms of funding asphalt plant has been erected and is now being hooked up for gas and electricity those things continue to evolve with our utility companies and we are still looking at august time frame for that or in the fall Chino Road realignment at State Route 80 and 191 is under construction, and a totalizer for jet fuel has been ordered for our airport. Our Safe Streets for All study was kicked off with T.Y. Lin as the consultant. Look for community engagement events to gather citizen and stakeholder input. We do have a transit advisory committee that will be held June 17th at 11 a.m. at the transit office. And we do have a technology assessment for this room, our sound system underway. I have several experts working with our IT manager to come in and assist in the assessment. And I will keep you updated on how that project progresses. Those are my updates. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 13.

I had a question because. Oh, but it was the report about the that I had asked for last time on the code enforcer.

That's a presentation at the July meeting. July. OK, thank you.

Item 13, future agenda item request for mayor and council. Do we have any? I do, but it's it's it's situation or if you want to call it. During the joint meeting, there was a suggestion by a council member because their work doesn't have sidewalks because they don't qualify for CDBG for us to just put sidewalks while we have a program where people pay for sidewalks. The reason they're not part of CDBG or eligible is because that's a well-earning part of the city. So if we're going to be putting sidewalks free sidewalks for people who can afford them. I'd like to bring the ordinance. Is it an ordinance or is it a resolution for the sidewalk program and the curb back up for a vote? Because I don't think it's fair that we have. I live in Ward 6 of Costa. I know Ward 1 is, you know, it's filled with low income who can't afford to do it. I don't think it's fair to give it to people that can afford to do it and asking people who can't afford to pay for it. So situational, like I said, if it's going to go in the budget, I'd like that bill brought back up. Hearing no other ones, item 14 adjournment may have a motion to adjourn. Where I so move the second second motion by Mrs. Pedrigal, second by Mr. Shelton. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye.